The North Devon Line
Barnstaple, North Devon, England
another "content over style" heritage web page from Steve Johnson`s "Cyberheritage"
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION
The Scene at Coleford Junction
or at least not too far away!!!
click above to enlarge
all are 1985 - 1986
I only came this way on two occasions. The good locations were too far from my route back to Plymouth, and also the timetable did not provide any activity at the right time.
The 33 is on the single track section having taken the Okehampton road at Coleford Junction that will take it to one of British Rails main ballast quarries at Meldon, near Okehampton on the northern perimeter of Dartmoor.
On the two photos of the 33 on a passenger service to Exeter, it can be seen that the line is double tracked. In effect these days they are actually two SINGLE tracks, but when I was a young boy I would take a main line express from Plymouth to Waterloo and it would come this way via Bere Alston, Tavistock and on to Crediton, and hence Exeter Central for London Waterloo. I well recall the view out of the window as I stood in the corridor and saw the grandeur of Northern Dartmoor and lots of stations all painted in lovely Southern green.
Note the lineside telegraph. The DMU is heading towards Barnstaple.
When I took the 33 passenger working it must have been very early on a summer spring morning. I recall how quite it was and how my ears searched to pick up the sound of the approaching train.